Making Every Dollar Count With Fred Schroeder

Trade spend is one of the largest investments a growing CPG brand makes, but for many Founders, it’s also one of the hardest areas of the business to understand, track, and optimize. In Making Every Trade Dollar Count, Cultivar CEO Pedro Noyola sits down with CPG trade promotion expert Fred Schroeder to explore how growing brands can take a more strategic approach to trade and make the dollars they’re already spending work harder. With more than 40 years in the CPG industry, including experience at P&G and Minute Maid and decades working in trade promotion management, Fred breaks down three areas brands can focus on to improve trade effectiveness: Why trade spend needs a clear owner How to build a process that connects planning, execution, deductions, and analysis Why software should support a trade process, not replace one How to distinguish working vs. non-working trade Why Fred recommends pushing toward scan-based promotions when possible How distributor upcharges, MCBs, OIs, and other costs affect the dollars that actually reach the consumer How to use a gross-to-net view to understand performance retailer by retailer Why trade effectiveness is about more than cutting costs—it’s about deploying those dollars more effectively to drive growth As Fred puts it, “There’s always more juice in the orange.” You may never be completely finished optimizing trade. But with the right ownership, process, and visibility, you can continually find opportunities to improve how those dollars are invested. If you’re a CPG Founder, finance leader, or operator looking to better understand where your trade dollars are going, and how to get more from them, this conversation is for you.